THE NUBIAN QUEEN OF KEMET (Ancient Egypt) (1415-1340 B.C.)
Black, beautiful and georgous, Queen Tiye is regarded as one of the most influential Queens ever to rule Kemet. A princess of Nubian birth, she
married the Kemetan King Amenhotep III who ruled during the New Kingdom Dynasties around 1391BC. Queen Tiye held the title of "Great Royal Wife" and
acted upon it following the end of her husband's reign. It was Tiye who held sway over Kemet during the reign of her three sons Amenhotep IV
(Akhenaton), Smenkhare, and the famous child king Tut-ankh-amen. For nearly half of a century, Tiye governed Kemet, regulated her trade, and protected
her borders. During this time, she was believed to be the standard of beauty in the ancient world.
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Queen Tiye
A Biography by Megaera Lorenz
Orgins:
Tiye, the beautiful Chief Queen of Amenhotep III and mother of Akhenaten, was the matriarch of the Amarna family. Her marriage to the pharaoh
Amenhotep III is heralded early in Amenhotep III's reign on what is now referred to as "the marriage scarab," part of series of inscribed scarabs
commissioned by Amenhotep III in order to commemorate important events in his reign.
The romantically inclined historians of the 1800s and turn of the century believed that Tiye was a commoner who caught the attention of the young
pharaoh. This belief arose in part because the commemorative scarabs mentioned the names of her parents, but gave no titles (Aldred, 1987). In
actuality, she was of noble or perhaps even royal stock.
Her father, Yuya, had been commander of the chariotry under Tuthmose IV (Aldred, 1987). This particular occupation was actually new to the 18th
dynasty, since at the beginning of that dynasty a standing army had been created in Egypt for the first time.
Tiye's mother, Thuya, was Superintendent of the Harem of Min of Akhmim and of Amun of Thebes during the reign of Thutmose IV, and was probably a
descendant of Ahmose Nefertari, the first queen of the 18th dynasty. In the 18th dynasty, the royal bloodline passed through the female royalty, and
it took marriage to a descendent of Ahmose Nefertari to legitimize a pharaoh's kingship. Therefore, Tiye would have been the Heiress Princess, next
in line for the queenship (Aldred, 1987).
Tiye was probably not full Egyptian. While her mother bore distinctly Egyptian features, her father did not. He had an unusual build for an Egyptian,
so some have speculated that he may have been Asiatic. Cyril Aldred says that this is not unlikely, since Asiatics "had the reputation of being
skilled in the government of horses..." (1987). Others believe that Tiye's features and dark skin as represented in artwork from the time indicate
sub-Saharan African origins. This matter is hotly debated. It is a dispute not likely to be settled in the near future.
Life During the Reign of Amenhotep III:
Tiye was probably married to Amenhotep III at a very early age, although just how old she was at the time is uncertain. She was given a good deal of
clout during her husbands reign, during which the cult of the now deified Ahmose Nefertari (whom Tiye came to represent in the cult) expanded (Aldred,
1987). The name Tiye is itself a pet-name for Nefertari, according to Aldred.
By Amenhotep III, Tiye had at least six children. She had two sons (Tuthmose V and Amenhotep IV, the second of whom went on to become pharaoh), and
four daughters (Sitamun, Isis, Henut-taneb, and Beketaten).
Amenhotep III lavished a good deal of attention on his wife. In his monument-building craze, he devoted a number of shrines to Tiye, built a palace
for her, and even went so far as to build a gigantic artificial lake for her (Redford, 1984). We know from her son's correspondance with Tushratta,
the king of Mitanni, that Tiye wielded a good deal of political influence, as is often the case for women in matrilineal societies (in which the line
of descent goes through the women rather than the men).
Tushratta advised the new Pharaoh Amenhotep IV:
Teye, your mother, knows all the words that I spoke with your father.
No one else knows them.
You must ask Teye, your mother, about them so she can tell you. . . .
And may my brother listen to nothing from anyone else.
(Amarna Tablet 28, Trans. by Alder, in Moran, 1992). From this we can gather that Tiye was not only Amenhotep III's trusted adviser and confidant,
but that she also played an active part in politics abroad.
Life During the Reign of Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten:
Tiye continued to be a major political influence during the reign of her second son, Amenhotep IV, again made clear by the letters exchanged with king
Tushratta of Mitanni. Tushratta sent letters to Tiye herself to ask her help in influencing her son (AT 26, Trans. by Alder, in Moran, 1992). Tiye
wrote back, telling him to "Promote your interests with Napkhururiya [Amenhotep IV], watch him, and do not cease from sending pleasant delegations"
(Redford, 1984).
When Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten and moved the capital city to Akhetaten, Tiye went with him, although she may not have taken up
residence there right away (Redford, 1984; Aldred, 1987). A few small shrines were found at Akhetaten with stelae depicting Tiye and Amenhotep III,
suggesting to some that the older royal couple did come to live at Akhetaten. It is known that Tiye paid a visit to Akhetaten around year 12 of
Akhenaten's reign (Aldred, 1987), perhaps in order to view the festivities at the great durbar that took place in that year. Akhenaten commissioned a
large, gilt shrine for his mother at around that time. Tiye vanished from the scene around the time of the death of Akhenaten's second daughter,
Meketaten, perhaps having fallen victim to the plague that was circulating in Egypt at that time (Redford, 1984).
Works Cited: Aldred, Cyril (1988).
Akhenaten: King of Egypt. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc.
Moran, William L. (1992). The Amarna Letters. Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press
Redford, Donald B. (1984).
Akhenaten: The Heretic King. New Jersey: Princeton University Press
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Queen Tiye
Although not of royal blood, Tiye's parents were sufficiently important within the court of Tuthmosis IV (the father of Amenhotep III) for her to
have been regarded as the heiress whom Amenhotep was destined to marry. Her parents were Yuya (who held the post of Kingís Lieutenant of Chariotry and
Master of the Horse) and Thuya who was an important court lady (Superintendent of the Harem of Min of Akhmim and of Amun of Thebes). Tiye's parents
were buried in the Valley of the Kings (as many nobles were) and their tomb was found intact in 1904, although not as grand as a Royal tomb it still
held many treasures - including the mummies of both Yuya and Thuya.
Despite her non-royal origins, Tiye became the Great Royal Wife of Amenhotep III (the king did have many royal wives, but the Great Royal Wife was the
most important and the heir and future pharaoh would be her son). Tiye was frequently mentioned, or shown beside Amenhotep in sculptures, reliefs and
inscriptions from the period, it is assumed that Tiye did have a strong effect on the state affairs of Egypt before and indeed after Amenhotep's
death.
Mother of Amenhotep IV / Akhenaten.
But perhaps her biggest effect on the history of Egypt was being the mother to the heretic king Amenhotep IV - later Akhenaten. Was it Tiye who first
encouraged her son to follow her religious yearnings no matter how controversial they were? Maybe Akhenaten inherited his mother's strong personality
and this gave him the strength to go on and revolutionise the religion of Egypt.
Tiye did have other children - two daughters and another son, the son, Tuthmose, was originally the heir to the throne of Egypt but died whilst still
a child. One of the daughters, Sitamun, was later married to her father (a common practice in Egypt at that time, as was the marriage of the Pharaoh
to his own sister), Tiye's other daughter, Baketaten, was often shown accompanying Tiye on her visits to Akhenaten's city of Akhetaten.
Mother of Tutankhamun?
It has often been speculated that Tiye was also the mother of Tutankhamun, one of the main factors of this speculation is that Akhenaten himself most
probably did not have any sons of his own, also an auburn lock of Tiye's hair, enclosed in a small coffin, was found in Tutankhamun's tomb - with
references to Tiye being Tutankhamun's mother.
The Mummy of Queen Tiye
It is thought that when she died, Tiye was originally buried by her son in the Royal Tomb at Akhetaten, and not alongside Amenhotep III in the Valley
of the Kings. Once the heretic Akhenaten had died, Tiyes body was moved - there is a small tomb in the Valley of the Kings was did have some ruined
artefacts from Tiye's funeral possessions (tomb 55). Tiye's body was then moved again to her husband's tomb to rest for eternity with him, however,
when the priests discovered the tomb had been robbed both the bodies of Amenhotep III and Tiye were moved to a safer location, the tomb of Amenhotep
II. The identity of Tiye's mummy was made after an electron probe compared a hair sample from the mummy and the lock of hair of Queen Tiye from
Tutankhamun's tomb (however like most finds dating to this period, these findings are disputed by some).
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Peace,
Khalliqa
Enjoyed the read. That queen is the bomb and demonstrates remarkable leadership and motherhood.
That was an interesting and infomative read.
Hotep,
Queen Tiye, Pharaoh Hatshepsut, and
Queen Nzingha are my most revered
female leaders.
Nzingha
In the last paragraph are they suggesting that Tiye had incestous relations with her son????? I know relations between brother and sister were common
among Egyptian royalty... and to a certain degree I understand it....
but mother and son???? 
I hope that's not what they're saying....
geesh...
Peace,
Khalliqa
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Originally posted by Tea_Honey
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Originally posted by Nzingha
Your correct I had forgotten about the Candaces of Ethiopia. Nzingha |
to the Lounge!
Great read.
Not to forget
Yaa Asantewaa
Her fight against British colonialists is a story is woven throughout the history of Ghana.
Yaa Asantewaa stood up and spoke. This was what she said: "Now I have seen that some of you fear to go forward to fight for our king. If it were in
the brave days of, the days of Osei Tutu, Okomfo Anokye, and Opoku Ware, chiefs would not sit down to see thier king taken away without firing a shot.
No white man could have dared to speak to chief of the Ashanti in the way the Governor spoke to you chiefs this morning. Is it true that the bravery
of the Ashanti is no more? I cannot believe it. It cannot be! I must say this: if you the men of Ashanti will not go forward, then we will. We the
women will. I shall call upon my fellow women.
We will fight the white men. We will fight till the last of us falls in the battlefields."
REFERENCe:
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/people/pop-up.php?ID=175
Our Ancestors were bad to the bone ..
And you know what it just makes you think why when we stuck together to fight for what was ours.. as women .. yet we are so against each other.. so
many of us fight .. roll our eyes.. envy jealousy .. why .. ? wow.. to read about these women..they are just Phenomenal.. amazing..
Good read and thread Khalliqa
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wow .. beautiful ..
She was truely one of many great Black women ..